C40 vs C41
C40 (Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs) compared with C41 (Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of other and unspecified sites), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. C41 carries an Excludes1 note covering C40: “malignant neoplasm of bones of limbs (C40.-)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
No — do not report together. C41 carries an Excludes1 note covering C40: “malignant neoplasm of cartilage of limbs (C40.-)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| C40Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs | C41Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of other and unspecified sites | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49) | C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49) |
| Definition | Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of limbs is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C40). | Malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage of other and unspecified sites is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C41). |
| Includes | malignant neoplasm of cartilage (articular) (joint) malignant neoplasm of periosteum | malignant neoplasm of cartilage (articular) (joint) malignant neoplasm of periosteum |
| Use additional code | code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources